Techniques For Authenticating Devices In Wireless Power Delivery Environments

ABSTRACT

Techniques are described for authenticating device in wireless power delivery environments. In some embodiments, a request for energy delivery is received from devices. The request may include an identifier, e.g., a client identification (ID). The charger may query a remotely located authentication platform via a network with the client ID. The authentication platform compares the client ID against devices that have been registered within the system. If the device is properly provisioned, the authentication platform may return an acceptance of authentication to the charger. In addition to device authentication, the current disclosure covers the ability to control the environment within a wireless network, and perform system diagnostics by monitoring the network environment.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/297,721 titled “TECHNIQUES FOR AUTHENTICATING DEVICES IN WIRELESSPOWER DELIVERY ENVIRONMENTS,” filed on Oct. 19, 2016, now allowed; whichclaims priority to and benefit from U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 62/243,625 titled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR AUTHENTICATION IN AWIRELESS CHARGING ENVIRONMENT,” filed on Oct. 19, 2015, both of whichare expressly incorporated by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The technology described herein relates generally to the field ofwireless power transmission and, more specifically, to techniques forauthenticating devices in wireless power delivery environments.

BACKGROUND

Many electronic devices are powered by batteries. Rechargeable batteriesare often used to avoid the cost of replacing conventional dry-cellbatteries and to conserve precious resources. However, rechargingbatteries with conventional rechargeable battery chargers requiresaccess to an alternating current (AC) power outlet, which is sometimesnot available or not convenient. It would, therefore, be desirable toderive power for electronics wirelessly.

Magnetic or induction based coupling requires a charger and the receiverto be in relatively close proximity to one another. Wireless charging ofdevices across a larger distance, however, requires more advancedmechanisms, such as transmission via radio frequency (RF) signals,ultrasonic transmissions, laser powering, etc., each of which present anumber of unique hurdles to commercial success.

Regardless of the transmission medium, any time energy is transferredthrough a free space, such as within a residence, commercial building,or other habited environments, it is desirable to limit the exposurelevels of the transmitted signals. Power delivery is constrained torelatively low power levels (typically on the order of milliwatts). Dueto this low energy transfer rate, it is imperative that a wireless powertransmission system be as efficient as possible.

Accordingly, a need exists for technology that overcomes the problemdemonstrated above, as well as one that provides additional benefits.The examples provided herein of some prior or related systems and theirassociated limitations are intended to be illustrative and notexclusive. Other limitations of existing or prior systems will becomeapparent to those of skill in the art upon reading the followingDetailed Description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One or more embodiments of the present invention are illustrated by wayof example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanyingdrawings, in which like references indicate similar elements.

FIG. 1 depicts a block diagram including an example wireless powerdelivery environment illustrating wireless power delivery from one ormore wireless power transmission systems to various wireless deviceswithin the wireless power delivery environment in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 2 depicts a sequence diagram illustrating example operationsbetween a wireless power transmission system and a wireless receiverclient for commencing wireless power delivery in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 3 depicts a block diagram illustrating example components of awireless power transmission system in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 4 depicts a block diagram illustrating example components of awireless power receiver client in accordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 5A and 5B depict diagrams illustrating an example multipathwireless power delivery environment in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 6 depicts a block diagram illustrating an example environment forfacilitating device authentication in a wireless power deliveryenvironment, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 7 depicts a diagram illustrating an alternate embodiment of awireless network where authentication of devices is performed, accordingto some embodiments.

FIGS. 8A and 8B depict flow diagrams illustrating example processes forauthenticating a device in a wireless power delivery environment,according to some embodiments.

FIG. 9 depicts an example screenshot illustrating an administrativelogin interface 900 for an authentication system, in accordance withsome embodiments.

FIG. 10 depicts an example screenshot illustrating an administrativedevice registration interface for an authentication system, inaccordance with some embodiments

FIG. 11 depicts an example screenshot illustrating a landing page, inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 12 depicts an example screenshot illustrating an administrationpage, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 13 depicts an example screenshot illustrating devices that arealready linked, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 14 depicts a flow diagram illustrating example process forperforming an environmental control technique in a wireless powerdelivery environment, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 15 depicts a flow diagram illustrating example process forproviding system diagnostics, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 16 depicts a block diagram illustrating example components of arepresentative mobile device or tablet computer with one or morewireless power receiver clients in the form of a mobile (or smart) phoneor tablet computer device in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 17 depicts a diagrammatic representation of a machine, in theexample form, of a computer system within which a set of instructions,for causing the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologiesdiscussed herein, may be executed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description and drawings are illustrative and are not tobe construed as limiting. Numerous specific details are described toprovide a thorough understanding of the disclosure. However, in certaininstances, well-known or conventional details are not described in orderto avoid obscuring the description. References to one or an embodimentin the present disclosure can be, but not necessarily are, references tothe same embodiment; and, such references mean at least one of theembodiments.

Reference in this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment”means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic describedin connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodimentof the disclosure. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” invarious places in the specification are not necessarily all referring tothe same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodimentsmutually exclusive of other embodiments. Moreover, various features aredescribed which may be exhibited by some embodiments and not by others.Similarly, various requirements are described which may be requirementsfor some embodiments but no other embodiments.

The terms used in this specification generally have their ordinarymeanings in the art, within the context of the disclosure, and in thespecific context where each term is used. Certain terms that are used todescribe the disclosure are discussed below, or elsewhere in thespecification, to provide additional guidance to the practitionerregarding the description of the disclosure. For convenience, certainterms may be highlighted, for example using italics and/or quotationmarks. The use of highlighting has no influence on the scope and meaningof a term; the scope and meaning of a term is the same, in the samecontext, whether or not it is highlighted. It will be appreciated thatthe same thing can be said in more than one way.

Consequently, alternative language and synonyms may be used for any oneor more of the terms discussed herein, nor is any special significanceto be placed upon whether or not a term is elaborated or discussedherein. Synonyms for certain terms are provided. A recital of one ormore synonyms does not exclude the use of other synonyms. The use ofexamples anywhere in this specification, including examples of any termsdiscussed herein, is illustrative only, and is not intended to furtherlimit the scope and meaning of the disclosure or of any exemplifiedterm. Likewise, the disclosure is not limited to various embodimentsgiven in this specification.

Without intent to further limit the scope of the disclosure, examples ofinstruments, apparatus, methods and their related results according tothe embodiments of the present disclosure are given below. Note thattitles or subtitles may be used in the examples for convenience of areader, which in no way should limit the scope of the disclosure. Unlessotherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein havethe same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in theart to which this disclosure pertains. In the case of conflict, thepresent document, including definitions, will control.

Any headings provided herein are for convenience only and do notnecessarily affect the scope or meaning of the claimed invention.

I. Wireless Power Transmission System Overview/Architecture

FIG. 1 depicts a block diagram including an example wireless powerdelivery environment 100 illustrating wireless power delivery from oneor more wireless power transmission systems (WPTS) 101 a-n (alsoreferred to as “wireless power delivery systems”, “antenna arraysystems” and “wireless chargers”) to various wireless devices 102 a-nwithin the wireless power delivery environment 100, according to someembodiments. More specifically, FIG. 1 illustrates an example wirelesspower delivery environment 100 in which wireless power and/or data canbe delivered to available wireless devices 102 a-102 n having one ormore wireless power receiver clients 103 a-103 n (also referred toherein as “clients” and “wireless power receivers”). The wireless powerreceiver clients are configured to receive and process wireless powerfrom one or more wireless power transmission systems 101 a-101 n.Components of an example wireless power receiver client 103 are shownand discussed in greater detail with reference to FIG. 4.

As shown in the example of FIG. 1, the wireless devices 102 a-102 ninclude mobile phone devices and a wireless game controller. However,the wireless devices 102 a-102 n can be any device or system that needspower and is capable of receiving wireless power via one or moreintegrated wireless power receiver clients 103 a-103 n. As discussedherein, the one or more integrated wireless power receiver clientsreceive and process power from one or more wireless power transmissionsystems 101 a-101 n and provide the power to the wireless devices 102a-102 n (or internal batteries of the wireless devices) for operationthereof.

Each wireless power transmission system 101 can include multipleantennas 104 a-n, e.g., an antenna array including hundreds or thousandsof antennas, which are capable of delivering wireless power to wirelessdevices 102. In some embodiments, the antennas are adaptively-phasedradio frequency (RF) antennas. The wireless power transmission system101 is capable of determining the appropriate phases with which todeliver a coherent power transmission signal to the wireless powerreceiver clients 103. The array is configured to emit a signal (e.g.,continuous wave or pulsed power transmission signal) from multipleantennas at a specific phase relative to each other. It is appreciatedthat use of the term “array” does not necessarily limit the antennaarray to any specific array structure. That is, the antenna array doesnot need to be structured in a specific “array” form or geometry.Furthermore, as used herein the term “array” or “array system” mayinclude related and peripheral circuitry for signal generation,reception and transmission, such as radios, digital logic and modems. Insome embodiments, the wireless power transmission system 101 can have anembedded Wi-Fi hub for data communications via one or more antennas ortransceivers.

The wireless devices 102 can include one or more wireless power receiverclients 103. As illustrated in the example of FIG. 1, power deliveryantennas 104 a-104 n are shown. The power delivery antennas 104 a areconfigured to provide delivery of wireless radio frequency power in thewireless power delivery environment. In some embodiments, one or more ofthe power delivery antennas 104 a-104 n can alternatively oradditionally be configured for data communications in addition to or inlieu of wireless power delivery. The one or more data communicationantennas are configured to send data communications to and receive datacommunications from the wireless power receiver clients 103 a-103 nand/or the wireless devices 102 a-102 n. In some embodiments, the datacommunication antennas can communicate via Bluetooth™, Wi-Fi™, ZigBee™,etc. Other data communication protocols are also possible.

Each wireless power receiver client 103 a-103 n includes one or moreantennas (not shown) for receiving signals from the wireless powertransmission systems 101 a-101 n. Likewise, each wireless powertransmission system 101 a-101 n includes an antenna array having one ormore antennas and/or sets of antennas capable of emitting continuouswave or discrete (pulse) signals at specific phases relative to eachother. As discussed above, each the wireless power transmission systems101 a-101 n is capable of determining the appropriate phases fordelivering the coherent signals to the wireless power receiver clients102 a-102 n. For example, in some embodiments, coherent signals can bedetermined by computing the complex conjugate of a received beacon (orcalibration) signal at each antenna of the array such that the coherentsignal is phased for delivering power to the particular wireless powerreceiver client that transmitted the beacon (or calibration) signal.

Although not illustrated, each component of the environment, e.g.,wireless device, wireless power transmission system, etc., can includecontrol and synchronization mechanisms, e.g., a data communicationsynchronization module. The wireless power transmission systems 101a-101 n can be connected to a power source such as, for example, a poweroutlet or source connecting the wireless power transmission systems to astandard or primary alternating current (AC) power supply in a building.Alternatively, or additionally, one or more of the wireless powertransmission systems 101 a-101 n can be powered by a battery or viaother mechanisms, e.g., solar cells, etc.

The wireless power receiver clients 102 a-102 n and/or the wirelesspower transmission systems 101 a-101 n are configured to operate in amultipath wireless power delivery environment. That is, the wirelesspower receiver clients 102 a-102 n and the wireless power transmissionsystems 101 a-101 n are configured to utilize reflective objects 106such as, for example, walls or other RF reflective obstructions withinrange to transmit beacon (or calibration) signals and/or receivewireless power and/or data within the wireless power deliveryenvironment. The reflective objects 106 can be utilized formulti-directional signal communication regardless of whether a blockingobject is in the line of sight between the wireless power transmissionsystem and the wireless power receiver clients 103 a-103 n.

As described herein, each wireless device 102 a-102 n can be any systemand/or device, and/or any combination of devices/systems that canestablish a connection with another device, a server and/or othersystems within the example environment 100. In some embodiments, thewireless devices 102 a-102 n include displays or other outputfunctionalities to present data to a user and/or input functionalitiesto receive data from the user. By way of example, a wireless device 102can be, but is not limited to, a video game controller, a serverdesktop, a desktop computer, a computer cluster, a mobile computingdevice such as a notebook, a laptop computer, a handheld computer, amobile phone, a smart phone, a PDA, a Blackberry device, a Treo, and/oran iPhone, etc. By way of example and not limitation, the wirelessdevice 102 can also be any wearable device such as watches, necklaces,rings or even devices embedded on or within the customer. Other examplesof a wireless device 102 include, but are not limited to, safety sensors(e.g., fire or carbon monoxide), electric toothbrushes, electronic doorlock/handles, electric light switch controller, electric shavers, etc.

Although not illustrated in the example of FIG. 1, the wireless powertransmission system 101 and the wireless power receiver clients 103a-103 n can each include a data communication module for communicationvia a data channel Alternatively, or additionally, the wireless powerreceiver clients 103 a-103 n can direct the wireless devices 102 a-102 nto communicate with the wireless power transmission system via existingdata communications modules. In some embodiments the beacon signal,which is primarily referred to herein as a continuous waveform, canalternatively or additionally take the form of a modulated signal.

FIG. 2 depicts a sequence diagram 200 illustrating example operationsbetween a wireless power delivery system (e.g., WPTS 101) and a wirelesspower receiver client (e.g., wireless power receiver client 103) forestablishing wireless power delivery in a multipath wireless powerdelivery, according to an embodiment. Initially, communication isestablished between the wireless power transmission system 101 and thepower receiver client 103. The initial communication can be, forexample, a data communication link that is established via one or moreantennas 104 of the wireless power transmission system 101. Asdiscussed, in some embodiments, one or more of the antennas 104 a-104 ncan be data antennas, wireless power transmission antennas, ordual-purpose data/power antennas. Various information can be exchangedbetween the wireless power transmission system 101 and the wirelesspower receiver client 103 over this data communication channel. Forexample, wireless power signaling can be time sliced among variousclients in a wireless power delivery environment. In such cases, thewireless power transmission system 101 can send beacon scheduleinformation, e.g., Beacon Beat Schedule (BBS) cycle, power cycleinformation, etc., so that the wireless power receiver client 103 knowswhen to transmit (broadcast) its beacon signals and when to listen forpower, etc.

Continuing with the example of FIG. 2, the wireless power transmissionsystem 101 selects one or more wireless power receiver clients forreceiving power and sends the beacon schedule information to the selectwireless power receiver clients 103. The wireless power transmissionsystem 101 can also send power transmission scheduling information sothat the wireless power receiver client 103 knows when to expect (e.g.,a window of time) wireless power from the wireless power transmissionsystem. The wireless power receiver client 103 then generates a beacon(or calibration) signal and broadcasts the beacon during an assignedbeacon transmission window (or time slice) indicated by the beaconschedule information, e.g., Beacon Beat Schedule (BBS) cycle. Asdiscussed herein, the wireless power receiver client 103 includes one ormore antennas (or transceivers) which have a radiation and receptionpattern in three-dimensional space proximate to the wireless device 102in which the wireless power receiver client 103 is embedded.

The wireless power transmission system 101 receives the beacon from thepower receiver client 103 and detects and/or otherwise measures thephase (or direction) from which the beacon signal is received atmultiple antennas. The wireless power transmission system 101 thendelivers wireless power to the power receiver client 103 from themultiple antennas 103 based on the detected or measured phase (ordirection) of the received beacon at each of the corresponding antennas.In some embodiments, the wireless power transmission system 101determines the complex conjugate of the measured phase of the beacon anduses the complex conjugate to determine a transmit phase that configuresthe antennas for delivering and/or otherwise directing wireless power tothe wireless power receiver client 103 via the same path over which thebeacon signal was received from the wireless power receiver client 103.

In some embodiments, the wireless power transmission system 101 includesmany antennas. One or more of the many antennas may be used to deliverpower to the power receiver client 103. The wireless power transmissionsystem 101 can detect and/or otherwise determine or measure phases atwhich the beacon signals are received at each antenna. The large numberof antennas may result in different phases of the beacon signal beingreceived at each antenna of the wireless power transmission system 101.As discussed above, the wireless power transmission system 101 candetermine the complex conjugate of the beacon signals received at eachantenna. Using the complex conjugates, one or more antennas may emit asignal that takes into account the effects of the large number ofantennas in the wireless power transmission system 101. In other words,the wireless power transmission system 101 can emit a wireless powertransmission signal from the one or more antennas in such a way as tocreate an aggregate signal from the one or more of the antennas thatapproximately recreates the waveform of the beacon in the oppositedirection. Said another way, the wireless power transmission system 101can deliver wireless RF power to the wireless power receiver clients viathe same paths over which the beacon signal is received at the wirelesspower transmission system 101. These paths can utilize reflectiveobjects 106 within the environment. Additionally, the wireless powertransmission signals can be simultaneously transmitted from the wirelesspower transmission system 101 such that the wireless power transmissionsignals collectively match the antenna radiation and reception patternof the client device in a three-dimensional (3D) space proximate to theclient device.

As shown, the beacon (or calibration) signals can be periodicallytransmitted by wireless power receiver clients 103 within the powerdelivery environment according to, for example, the BBS, so that thewireless power transmission system 101 can maintain knowledge and/orotherwise track the location of the power receiver clients 103 in thewireless power delivery environment. The process of receiving beaconsignals from a wireless power receiver client 103 at the wireless powertransmission system and, in turn, responding with wireless powerdirected to that particular wireless power receiver client is referredto herein as retrodirective wireless power delivery.

Furthermore, as discussed herein, wireless power can be delivered inpower cycles defined by power schedule information. A more detailedexample of the signaling required to commence wireless power delivery isdescribed now with reference to FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 depicts a block diagram illustrating example components of awireless power transmission system 300, in accordance with anembodiment. As illustrated in the example of FIG. 3, the wirelesscharger 300 includes a master bus controller (MBC) board and multiplemezzanine boards that collectively comprise the antenna array. The MBCincludes control logic 310, an external data interface (I/F) 315, anexternal power interface (I/F) 320, a communication block 330 and proxy340. The mezzanine (or antenna array boards 350) each include multipleantennas 360 a-360 n. Some or all of the components can be omitted insome embodiments. Additional components are also possible. For example,in some embodiments only one of communication block 330 or proxy 340 maybe included.

The control logic 310 is configured to provide control and intelligenceto the array components. The control logic 310 may comprise one or moreprocessors, FPGAs, memory units, etc., and direct and control thevarious data and power communications. The communication block 330 candirect data communications on a data carrier frequency, such as the basesignal clock for clock synchronization. The data communications can beBluetooth™ Wi-Fi™, ZigBee™, etc., including combinations or variationsthereof. Likewise, the proxy 340 can communicate with clients via datacommunications as discussed herein. The data communications can be, byway of example and not limitation, Bluetooth™, Wi-Fi™ ZigBee™, etc.Other communication protocols are possible.

In some embodiments, the control logic 310 can also facilitate and/orotherwise enable data aggregation for Internet of Things (IoT) devices.In some embodiments, wireless power receiver clients can access, trackand/or otherwise obtain IoT information about the device in which thewireless power receiver client is embedded and provide that IoTinformation to the wireless power transmission system 300 over a dataconnection. This IoT information can be provided to via an external datainterface 315 to a central or cloud-based system (not shown) where thedata can be aggregated, processed, etc. For example, the central systemcan process the data to identify various trends across geographies,wireless power transmission systems, environments, devices, etc. In someembodiments, the aggregated data and or the trend data can be used toimprove operation of the devices via remote updates, etc. Alternatively,or additionally, in some embodiments, the aggregated data can beprovided to third party data consumers. In this manner, the wirelesspower transmission system acts as a Gateway or Enabler for the IoTs. Byway of example and not limitation, the IoT information can includecapabilities of the device in which the wireless power receiver clientis embedded, usage information of the device, power levels of thedevice, information obtained by the device or the wireless powerreceiver client itself, e.g., via sensors, etc.

The external power interface 320 is configured to receive external powerand provide the power to various components. In some embodiments, theexternal power interface 320 may be configured to receive a standardexternal 24 Volt power supply. In other embodiments, the external powerinterface 320 can be, for example, 120/240 Volt AC mains to an embeddedDC power supply which sources the required 12/24/48 Volt DC to providethe power to various components. Alternatively, the external powerinterface could be a DC supply which sources the required 12/24/48 VoltsDC. Alternative configurations are also possible.

In operation, the master bus controller (MBC), which controls thewireless power transmission system 300, receives power from a powersource and is activated. The MBC then activates the proxy antennaelements on the wireless power transmission system and the proxy antennaelements enter a default “discovery” mode to identify available wirelessreceiver clients within range of the wireless power transmission system.When a client is found, the antenna elements on the wireless powertransmission system power on, enumerate, and (optionally) calibrate.

The MBC then generates beacon transmission scheduling information andpower transmission scheduling information during a scheduling process.The scheduling process includes selection of power receiver clients. Forexample, the MBC can select power receiver clients for powertransmission and generate a Beacon Beat Schedule (BBS) cycle and a PowerSchedule (PS) for the selected wireless power receiver clients. Asdiscussed herein, the power receiver clients can be selected based ontheir corresponding properties and/or requirements.

In some embodiments, the MBC can also identify and/or otherwise selectavailable clients that will have their status queried in the ClientQuery Table (CQT). Clients that are placed in the CQT are those on“standby”, e.g., not receiving a charge. The BBS and PS are calculatedbased on vital information about the clients such as, for example,battery status, current activity/usage, how much longer the client hasuntil it runs out of power, priority in terms of usage, etc.

The Proxy Antenna Element (AE) broadcasts the BBS to all clients. Asdiscussed herein, the BBS indicates when each client should send abeacon. Likewise, the PS indicates when and to which clients the arrayshould send power to and when clients should listen for wireless power.Each client starts broadcasting its beacon and receiving power from thearray per the BBS and PS. The Proxy AE can concurrently query the ClientQuery Table to check the status of other available clients. In someembodiments, a client can only exist in the BBS or the CQT (e.g.,waitlist), but not in both. The information collected in the previousstep continuously and/or periodically updates the BBS cycle and/or thePS.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating example components of a wirelesspower receiver client 400, in accordance with some embodiments. Asillustrated in the example of FIG. 4, the receiver 400 includes controllogic 410, battery 420, an IoT control module 425, communication block430 and associated antenna 470, power meter 440, rectifier 450, acombiner 455, beacon signal generator 460, beacon coding unit 462 and anassociated antenna 480, and switch 465 connecting the rectifier 450 orthe beacon signal generator 460 to one or more associated antennas 490a-n. Some or all of the components can be omitted in some embodiments.For example, in some embodiments, the wireless power receiver client 400does not include its own antennas but instead utilizes and/or otherwiseshares one or more antennas (e.g., Wi-Fi antenna) of the wireless devicein which the wireless power receiver client is embedded. Moreover, insome embodiments, the wireless power receiver client may include asingle antenna that provides data transmission functionality as well aspower/data reception functionality. Additional components are alsopossible.

A combiner 455 receives and combines the received power transmissionsignals from the power transmitter in the event that the receiver 400has more than one antenna. The combiner can be any combiner or dividercircuit that is configured to achieve isolation between the output portswhile maintaining a matched condition. For example, the combiner 455 canbe a Wilkinson Power Divider circuit. The rectifier 450 receives thecombined power transmission signal from the combiner 455, if present,which is fed through the power meter 440 to the battery 420 forcharging. In other embodiments, each antenna's power path can have itsown rectifier 450 and the DC power out of the rectifiers is combinedprior to feeding the power meter 440. The power meter 440 can measurethe received power signal strength and provides the control logic 410with this measurement.

Battery 420 can include protection circuitry and/or monitoringfunctions. Additionally, the battery 420 can include one or morefeatures, including, but not limited to, current limiting, temperatureprotection, over/under voltage alerts and protection, and coulombmonitoring.

The control logic 410 receives and processes the battery power levelfrom the battery 420 itself. The control logic 410 may alsotransmit/receive via the communication block 430 a data signal on a datacarrier frequency, such as the base signal clock for clocksynchronization. The beacon signal generator 460 generates the beaconsignal, or calibration signal, transmits the beacon signal using eitherthe antenna 480 or 490 after the beacon signal is encoded.

It may be noted that, although the battery 420 is shown as charged by,and providing power to, the wireless power receiver client 400, thereceiver may also receive its power directly from the rectifier 450.This may be in addition to the rectifier 450 providing charging currentto the battery 420, or in lieu of providing charging. Also, it may benoted that the use of multiple antennas is one example of implementationand the structure may be reduced to one shared antenna.

In some embodiments, the control logic 410 and/or the IoT control module425 can communicate with and/or otherwise derive IoT information fromthe device in which the wireless power receiver client 400 is embedded.Although not shown, in some embodiments, the wireless power receiverclient 400 can have one or more data connections (wired or wireless)with the device in which the wireless power receiver client 400 isembedded over which IoT information can be obtained. Alternatively, oradditionally, IoT information can be determined and/or inferred by thewireless power receiver client 400, e.g., via one or more sensors. Asdiscussed above, the IoT information can include, but is not limited to,information about the capabilities of the device in which the wirelesspower receiver client 400 is embedded, usage information of the devicein which the wireless power receiver client 400 is embedded, powerlevels of the battery or batteries of the device in which the wirelesspower receiver client 400 is embedded, and/or information obtained orinferred by the device in which the wireless power receiver client isembedded or the wireless power receiver client itself, e.g., viasensors, etc.

In some embodiments, a client identifier (ID) module 415 stores a clientID that can uniquely identify the wireless power receiver client 400 ina wireless power delivery environment. For example, the ID can betransmitted to one or more wireless power transmission systems whencommunication is established. In some embodiments, wireless powerreceiver clients may also be able to receive and identify other wirelesspower receiver clients in a wireless power delivery environment based onthe client ID.

An optional motion sensor 495 can detect motion and signal the controllogic 410 to act accordingly. For example, a device receiving power mayintegrate motion detection mechanisms such as accelerometers orequivalent mechanisms to detect motion. Once the device detects that itis in motion, it may be assumed that it is being handled by a user, andwould trigger a signal to the array to either to stop transmittingpower, or to lower the power transmitted to the device. In someembodiments, when a device is used in a moving environment like a car,train or plane, the power might only be transmitted intermittently or ata reduced level unless the device is critically low on power.

FIGS. 5A and 5B depict diagrams illustrating an example multipathwireless power delivery environment 500, according to some embodiments.The multipath wireless power delivery environment 500 includes a useroperating a wireless device 502 including one or more wireless powerreceiver clients 503. The wireless device 502 and the one or morewireless power receiver clients 503 can be wireless device 102 of FIG. 1and wireless power receiver client 103 of FIG. 1 or wireless powerreceiver client 400 of FIG. 4, respectively, although alternativeconfigurations are possible. Likewise, wireless power transmissionsystem 501 can be wireless power transmission system 101 FIG. 1 orwireless power transmission system 300 of FIG. 3, although alternativeconfigurations are possible. The multipath wireless power deliveryenvironment 500 includes reflective objects 506 and various absorptiveobjects, e.g., users, or humans, furniture, etc.

Wireless device 502 includes one or more antennas (or transceivers) thathave a radiation and reception pattern 510 in three-dimensional spaceproximate to the wireless device 102. The one or more antennas (ortransceivers) can be wholly or partially included as part of thewireless device 102 and/or the wireless power receiver client (notshown). For example, in some embodiments one or more antennas, e.g.,Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc. of the wireless device 502 can be utilized and/orotherwise shared for wireless power reception. As shown in the exampleof FIGS. 5A and 5B, the radiation and reception pattern 510 comprises alobe pattern with a primary lobe and multiple side lobes. Other patternsare also possible.

The wireless device 502 transmits a beacon (or calibration) signal overmultiple paths to the wireless power transmission system 501. Asdiscussed herein, the wireless device 502 transmits the beacon in thedirection of the radiation and reception pattern 510 such that thestrength of the received beacon signal by the wireless powertransmission system, e.g., received signal strength indication (RSSI),depends on the radiation and reception pattern 510. For example, beaconsignals are not transmitted where there are nulls in the radiation andreception pattern 510 and beacon signals are the strongest at the peaksin the radiation and reception pattern 510, e.g., peak of the primarylobe. As shown in the example of FIG. 5A, the wireless device 502transmits beacon signals over five paths P1-P5. Paths P4 and P5 areblocked by reflective and/or absorptive object 506. The wireless powertransmission system 501 receives beacon signals of increasing strengthsvia paths P1-P3. The bolder lines indicate stronger signals. In someembodiments the beacon signals are directionally transmitted in thismanner, for example, to avoid unnecessary RF energy exposure to theuser.

A fundamental property of antennas is that the receiving pattern(sensitivity as a function of direction) of an antenna when used forreceiving is identical to the far-field radiation pattern of the antennawhen used for transmitting. This is a consequence of the reciprocitytheorem in electromagnetism. As shown in the example of FIGS. 5A and 5B,the radiation and reception pattern 510 is a three-dimensional lobeshape. However, the radiation and reception pattern 510 can be anynumber of shapes depending on the type or types, e.g., horn antennas,simple vertical antenna, etc. used in the antenna design. For example,the radiation and reception pattern 510 can comprise various directivepatterns. Any number of different antenna radiation and receptionpatterns are possible for each of multiple client devices in a wirelesspower delivery environment.

Referring again to FIG. 5A, the wireless power transmission system 501receives the beacon (or calibration) signal via multiple paths P1-P3 atmultiple antennas or transceivers. As shown, paths P2 and P3 are directline of sight paths while path P1 is a non-line of sight path. Once thebeacon (or calibration) signal is received by the wireless powertransmission system 501, the power transmission system 501 processes thebeacon (or calibration) signal to determine one or more receivecharacteristics of the beacon signal at each of the multiple antennas.For example, among other operations, the wireless power transmissionsystem 501 can measure the phases at which the beacon signal is receivedat each of the multiple antennas or transceivers.

The wireless power transmission system 501 processes the one or morereceive characteristics of the beacon signal at each of the multipleantennas to determine or measure one or more wireless power transmitcharacteristics for each of the multiple RF transceivers based on theone or more receive characteristics of the beacon (or calibration)signal as measured at the corresponding antenna or transceiver. By wayof example and not limitation, the wireless power transmitcharacteristics can include phase settings for each antenna ortransceiver, transmission power settings, etc.

As discussed herein, the wireless power transmission system 501determines the wireless power transmit characteristics such that, oncethe antennas or transceivers are configured, the multiple antennas ortransceivers are operable to transit a wireless power signal thatmatches the client radiation and reception pattern in thethree-dimensional space proximate to the client device. FIG. 5Billustrates the wireless power transmission system 501 transmittingwireless power via paths P1-P3 to the wireless device 502.Advantageously, as discussed herein, the wireless power signal matchesthe client radiation and reception pattern 510 in the three-dimensionalspace proximate to the client device. Said another way, the wirelesspower transmission system will transmit the wireless power signals inthe direction in which the wireless power receiver has maximum gain,e.g., will receive the most wireless power. As a result, no signals aresent in directions in which the wireless power receiver cannot receiver,e.g., nulls and blockages. In some embodiments, the wireless powertransmission system 501 measures the RSSI of the received beacon signaland if the beacon is less than a threshold value, the wireless powertransmission system will not send wireless power over that path.

The three paths shown in the example of FIGS. 5A and 5B are illustratedfor simplicity, it is appreciated that any number of paths can beutilized for transmitting power to the wireless device 502 depending on,among other factors, reflective and absorptive objects in the wirelesspower delivery environment.

II. Techniques for Device Authentication

In order to increase wireless power transmission efficiency, a number oftechniques may be employed such as, for example, multipath powertransmission, efficient power delivery scheduling, and providing powerto select devices. In order to effectuate many of these efficiencymeasures, the devices being powered must be known to the system andpreferably authorized for receipt of the power transmission.

Techniques are described for authenticating devices in wireless powerdelivery environments. Among other benefits, the authenticationtechniques described herein enable device tracking, gathering ofanalytic information concerning devices and user behaviors, improvedwireless power scheduling, and targeted or prioritized device chargingin closed charging environments. In some embodiments, the authenticationtechniques described herein facilitate granular control over whichdevices are allowed to be added to a power schedule based on anauthentication status of the device. Additionally, in some embodiments,the techniques described herein also facilitate enhanced environmentalcontrol in wireless power delivery environments.

Initially, a request for wireless power (or energy delivery) is receivedby a wireless power transmission system from each of one or more devices(or wireless power receiver clients) in a wireless power deliveryenvironment. The request can include an identifier such as, for example,a wireless power receiver client identification (client ID). Thewireless power transmission system responsively queries a remoteauthentication platform with the client ID. The authentication platformcompares the client ID against devices or (wireless power receiverclients) that have been registered with the system or service. If thedevice is properly provisioned, the authentication platform provides thewireless power transmission system with an indication of acceptance orapproval of the authentication to the wireless power transmissionsystem. Alternatively or additionally, in some embodiments, the wirelesspower transmission may maintain a local listing of approved deviceswhich may be periodically updated and/or otherwise synchronized by theauthentication platform.

When an approval is provided to the wireless power transmission system,the approval may identify an authentication period. The authenticationperiod may include, for example, start and end times of theauthentication period, a start time and duration of the authenticationperiod, or combinations or variations thereof. As discussed herein,during the authentication period, the device (or wireless power receiverclient) can be added to a power cycle or power schedule. During thepower schedule, the wireless power transmission system transmitswireless power (or energy) to each of the various devices (or wirelesspower receivers) included in the power schedule as discussed herein.Once the authentication period elapses, the device (or wireless powerreceiver) needs to be re-authenticated in order to be included insubsequent power cycles.

Initially, a device (or wireless power receiver client) must beprovisioned to be included in the listing of accepted devices. Theprovisioning process may include registering the device (or wirelesspower receiver client) via an administrative browser based applicationand/or native application. For example, the client ID, among otherpossible device information, may be registered and stored as part ofthis process.

In some embodiments, when a device enters a network where authenticationis needed, the wireless power transmission system may push anotification to the device. The notification allows a user of the deviceto accept the terms and conditions and be included within theauthenticated device listing. Information regarding the user, device orboth may also be required in order to register. For example, the usermay be asked to provide a code or other information in order to beauthenticated. In some embodiments, the registration process may alsoallow the user to configure privacy settings.

Among other benefits, the authentication process allows device usage andother information to be collected across various wireless power deliveryenvironments over geographically diverse networks. The usage informationmay be employed to enhance the power delivery experience for the userand provide retailers, businesses, etc., valuable information regardingtheir customer base.

In addition to device authentication, the techniques described hereinfurther describe the ability to control an environment within a wirelessnetwork. Environmental control leverages the phenomena that movementwithin a wireless network can alter signal amplitude, phase andpolarity. Specific movements may result in repeatable patterns of signalmodulation. When such patterns are detected, it may be leveraged totrigger an action by a device. For example, a gesture in front of a doormay enable the unlocking of the door lock. Another gesture may beutilized to modify the thermostat temperature or to power cycle anappliance within the home.

The techniques discussed herein further discuss the ability to performvarious system diagnostics by monitoring the network environment.Periodic or sustained changes in signal amplitude or phase may indicatejamming or theft of power by an unauthorized device. Likewise, loss ofconnectivity with an expected device for a period of time, e.g., aperiod longer than the life of the device's battery may indicate anissue with the device or with the power transmission. In such instances,an administrator may be notified or otherwise alerted when such an erroroccurs.

FIG. 6 depicts a block diagram illustrating an example environment 600for facilitating device authentication in a wireless power deliveryenvironment, according to some embodiments. The example environment 600includes an authentication platform 620 in communication with a network610. Also coupled to the network 610 is a wireless power transmissionsystem 601 and one or more devices 602. As shown in the example of FIG.6A, the wireless power transmission system 601 and the devices 102 alsocouple to a local administrative system 650. The wireless powertransmission system 601 can be wireless power transmission system 101FIG. 1 or wireless power transmission system 300 of FIG. 3, althoughalternative configurations are possible. Likewise, the wireless devices602 can be wireless device 102 of FIG. 1 including one or more wirelesspower receiver clients (not shown). The wireless power receiver clientscan be wireless power receiver client 103 of FIG. 1 or wireless powerreceiver client 400 of FIG. 4, respectively, although alternativeconfigurations are possible. A single wireless power transmission systemis illustrated for simplicity. It is appreciated that the exampleenvironment 600 can include any number of wireless power transmissionsystems. Additional or fewer components are possible.

The network 610 may be any type of cellular, wired Ethernet, Wi-Finetwork, IP-based or converged telecommunications network, including butnot limited to Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), TimeDivision Multiple Access (TDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA),Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDM), General PacketRadio Service (GPRS), Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), AdvancedMobile Phone System (AMPS), Worldwide Interoperability for MicrowaveAccess (WiMAX), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS),Evolution-Data Optimized (EVDO), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Ultra MobileBroadband (UMB), Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Unlicensed MobileAccess (UMA), etc.

The network 610 can be any collection of distinct networks operatingwholly or partially in conjunction to provide connectivity to theauthentication platform 620, wireless power transmission system 601 anddevices 602, in some cases where the devices are capable of independentcommunication with the network 610. In some embodiments, communicationsto and from the authentication platform 620, wireless power transmissionsystem 601 and devices 602 can be achieved by, an open network, such asthe Internet, or a private network, such as an intranet and/or theextranet, or a combination or variation thereof.

The authentication platform 620, wireless power transmission system 601and devices 602 can be coupled to the network 610 (e.g., Internet) via adial-up connection, a digital subscriber loop (DSL, ADSL), cable modem,wireless connections, direct fiber connections and/or any other types ofconnection. To perform the authentication discussed herein, the wirelesspower transmission system 601 may be in communication with theauthentication platform 620. In addition to the authenticationfunctionality, such a connection may also allow for usage data to becompiled, and updates to be provided to the charger. The connectionbetween the authentication platform 620 and the charger may be areal-time live connection, or the authentication platform 620 couldalternatively periodically share the ‘approved’ listing with thewireless power transmission system 601, and the wireless powertransmission system may reconcile the ‘local copy’ of this approvedlisting against the information provided by the authentication platform620. As shown, the authentication platform 620 includes one or moreservers 640 and data repositories 630. The authentication platform 620may comprise any number of servers 640 and/or data repositories 630. Thedatabases 630 can be implemented via object-oriented technology and/orvia text files, and can be managed by any database management system.

In operation, a specific device of devices 602 sends device specificinformation to the administrative interface 650. This information caninclude a radio ID, in situations where power is transferred via RFtransmissions. Alternatively, or additionally, the information providedmay include a device or client ID or model number, and other settingsfor the device. The administrative interface may subsequently providethis information to the charger 101.

Information may be manually entered to the administrative interface 650by a human, or may be auto-populated by scanning the device, orotherwise synching the device to the administrative interface 650. Insome embodiments, the administrative interface 650 is a web portal orlocally hosted application presented on a computer device within thewireless charging environment. Devices may be plugged into the computerhosting the administrative interface 650for collection of deviceinformation (such as battery type, model number, usage patterns, etc.),in some embodiments. The device settings may additionally, oralternatively, be directly uploaded to the authentication platform 620where the device has network connectivity.

After initial device settings have been collected, the device 602provides an ID, typically a radio ID associated with its beaconingsignal, to the charger 601. The beacon signal indicates to the charger601 that power is desired, and also provides a mechanism to synchronizepower delivery.

In some embodiments, the charger subsequently sends the received ID tothe authentication platform 620 via the network 610 for comparisonagainst the authentication records stored in the database 630. Onlydevices that have been registered, either via the administrativeinterface 650, or directly with the authentication platform 620, aredetermined to be authenticated devices. In this case the authenticationplatform 620 returns to the server a positive authentication messagethat includes the client ID, device ID (where the radio and device areseparate), provider ID and a start and end time for the authentication.This start and end time determines when the device requires are-authentication in order to continue receiving power.

The charger 601 utilizes this information to provide a notification tothe device on when to expect a wireless power delivery. As previouslynoted, this power delivery may include the sending of RF signals, butmay alternatively rely upon acoustic transmissions, photonictransmissions, microwave transmissions, or any other suitable powertransmission.

Authentication of devices in this manner may be utilized to determinepower delivery schedules. For example, any given network may bedesignated as either an “open” connection, where any device 602 may forma connection with a charger 601 in order to receive power, or a “closed”system, where only properly authenticated devices may receive powertransfers. Alternatively, there is the possibility of hybrid systemsthat may preferentially power authenticated devices, possibly on atiered basis, and yet still provide power to any requesting devicealbeit with a lower priority, known as a “semi-closed” system.

FIG. 7 depicts a diagram illustrating an alternate embodiment of awireless network 700 where authentication of devices is performed,according to some embodiments. Unlike the example of FIG. 6, this systemleverages third party systems in order to authenticate wireless powerreceiver clients embedded and/or otherwise included in a device 702,e.g., with embedded or ass. In particular, the user uses a workstation750 to upload device information by logging into a third party website705 and entering in the client ID. The workstation may connect to thethird party site though the network 710. The third party website 705then provides a device ID, device type, client ID, authentication status(either true or false) and start and end times for the authentication toa third party authentication system 715. The device ID andauthentication status may be derived from the user's input, or collectedfrom some external database.

In some embodiments, the third party is a telecommunication operator. Insuch situations the device may include a mobile phone which isassociated with a carrier. The third party authentication platform 715may provide the carrier ID, device ID, device type, client ID,authentication status (either true or false) and start and end times forthe authentication to the authentication platform 720. Then, when theuser enters a wireless network, the charger 701 is able to detect theclient device 702. The charger 701 then checks if the device isauthenticated, and for how long, using locally stored authenticationdata. If there is no local data regarding the device 701, the chargermay supply the client ID to the authentication platform 720 forreference against their database. The authentication platform 720provides back if the device is authenticated, as well as a device ID andstart and end times. The charger 701 then is able to supply power to thedevice 702 for the duration of the authentication period. After whichthe charger must re-authenticate the device.

The wireless device 702, which can include one or more wireless powerreceiver clients, can be wireless device 102 of FIG. 1 and wirelesspower receiver client 103 of FIG. 1 or wireless power receiver client400 of FIG. 4, respectively, although alternative configurations arepossible. Likewise, wireless power transmission system 701 can bewireless power transmission system 101 FIG. 1 or wireless powertransmission system 300 of FIG. 3, although alternative configurationsare possible.

FIGS. 8A and 8B depict flow diagrams illustrating example processes 800Aand 800B for authenticating a device in a wireless power deliveryenvironment, according to some embodiments. More specifically, theexample process 800A depicts a technique for determining if a device isauthenticated via a remote authentication and, if so, providing awireless charge to that device during an authentication period.Likewise, the example process 800B depicts a similar technique where theuser does not have to pre-provision the device before authentication. Awireless power transmission system such as, for example, wireless powertransmission system 101 of FIG. 1 or wireless power transmission system300 of FIG. 3, can, among other functions, perform the example process800.

Initially, a user provisions a device by, for example, logging into anadministrative website or other administrative application and providingdevice information, e.g., the device ID. As discussed herein, additionalinformation may also be provided by the user, e.g., power usage,charging configurations, etc. In some embodiments, the administrativewebsite or other administrative application may be hosted on a localadministrative interface (typically a local computer system) that iscapable of connecting to and communicating with the authenticationplatform via the internet or other suitable network. The application maybe downloaded from an online marketplace or public application storesuch as, for example, the Apple App Store™, Google Play Store™, etc. Anequivalent application may also be downloaded from a manufacturer's AppStore for the charger device in order to ensure security and reliabilityof the system.

The provisioning of the device may be associated with a specific user.In some embodiments, the authentication information may be directlyposted on the authentication platform cloud or may, alternatively, beinitially processed by a third party (e.g., KDDI portal) before beinguploaded to the authentication platform. The system admin interface (UI)can make a distinction between devices that are active (i.e., charging)and those that are inactive (i.e., not charging) through, for example,the display of a charge symbol. A customer service system provides thedevice ID, device type, receiver ID (if independent from the device),authentication status, and authentication start and end times to theauthentication server. This information may be stored by devicemanufacturer for lookup by the customer service system or may beprovided by the user upon device provisioning. The provisioning of thewireless power transmission system the first time will benefit from QRCode scanning provided in the native application. The QR Code may beprinted on paper inside the Client Device box or on the device itself.The authentication network will support both Charging and Data Access tothe Wi-Fi hub as a default mode. The administrator can choose toseparate those for certain scenarios. As discussed herein, in someembodiments, the wireless power transmission system includes a Wi-Fihub. In these embodiments, the user does not have to be provisionedtwice, one for power and one for data, and instead may leverage thesingle provisioning for both data and charging.

Once provisioned, the wireless power transmission system subsequentlydetects that a request for wireless power transmitted by a device withina wireless power delivery environment (810). As discussed herein, thewireless power delivery environment can comprise a location, area, orregion that is served by one or more wireless power transmissionssystems. The request for charging can include an identifier, e.g., thereceiver/radio ID, for identification purposes. Alternatively, theidentifier or other credentials may be provided with a beacon foridentification purposes. In some embodiments, the system administrationcan display devices that are detected but not yet authorized, as well asauthorized devices.

The wireless power transmission system then queries a remoteauthentication platform to determine whether the device is authenticatedand thereby eligible to receive wireless power (820). As discussedherein, the query can include the identifier, e.g., the receiver/radioID. At decision step (830), the wireless power transmission systemreceives a response from the remote authentication platform anddetermines whether the device is authenticated using the response.

If the device is not authenticated, then the request for wireless powerreceived from the device can be ignored or declined (840). In someembodiments, e.g., where the charging system is set up as semi-closed,non-authenticated devices may still be provided power, but at a lesserrate or priority than authenticated devices. For example, in such asemi-closed system, only after all authenticated devices aresufficiently charged will non-authenticated devices be provided power.In other embodiments, all devices are provided power, but the acceptablecharger threshold for non-authenticated devices may be set lower thanauthenticated devices. In yet another embodiment, non-authenticateddevices are only provided charge if no authenticated devices arepresent.

Returning to FIG. 8A, if the device is authenticated by theauthentication platform, then the authentication platform provides thedevice ID, authentication duration, e.g., start time and authenticationend time, to the wireless power transmission system. This information isthen stored locally at the charger or at a local database (850). Inaddition to authentication duration and device ID, other informationsuch as power delivery scheduling information, device power consumption,or other configuration data may likewise be provided. Such data mayenable more effective power scheduling by the wireless powertransmission system, especially when many devices are present, and totaldeliverable charge must be partitioned out equitably. The calculation ofpower schedule delivery and balancing may be done either in the wirelesspower transmission system or in the cloud.

The wireless power transmission system then provides charge toauthenticated devices in accordance with a power schedule (860). Powerschedules may include ‘round-robin’ style power delivery or may includemore advanced scheduling that takes into account device types, powerusage rates, available power levels at the device(“time-to-death/hibernation” for the battery), user priority,effectiveness of power transfers, etc. During the powering of thedevices, the wireless power transmission system checks that theauthentication duration has not been exceeded. For example, the end timecan be monitored, a duration timer, etc. Once the authenticationduration expires (870), the wireless power transmission system returnsto an earlier stage where power is no longer being delivered to thedevice. If the device still requires a charge, it may request it and theauthentication process may be repeated to determine authentication ofthe device. In this way the authentication for any given devicenaturally sunsets, ensuring that the list of authenticated deviceslocally stored are never overly stale.

Referring next to FIG. 8B, in the example process 800B the user does nothave to pre-provision the device before authentication. Morespecifically, if the device is not authenticated (830), then rather thanbeing ignored by the wireless power transmission system, the wirelesspower transmission system may send a notification to the device (880)with an option to allow for charging. This may include routing thedevice to a webpage, for example, that directly interfaces with theauthentication platform. The user may be required to register theirdevice, accept terms and conditions, and even enable contact with thirdparty systems. For example, a customer's receipt may include analphanumeric code that is entered in order to allow the customer toregister their device. In such instances, only customers gain thebenefit of wireless charging. It can be easily imagined that alternateverification schemas could also be employed. For example, a scan-ablebar or QR code could be printed on the receipt. Consequently, ratherthan requiring the user to type in the code, it may instead be simplyphotographed by the device via the application/webpage the chargerdirected the device to.

In some embodiments, rather than affixing an access code to the receipt,it is possible that individual products may instead have the code onthem. Returning to our coffee shop example, each cup may include a QRcode printed on its side. Upon ordering the cashier could scan the codewith the cash register scanner which then connects to the authenticationplatform and authorizes that code for use. Then when the user attemptsto charge, the device is redirected to the authentication application orweb portal, and the device is used to snap a photo of the QR code. Thiscode is compared to recently authorized codes, thereby ensuring that theuser is an authentic customer and eligible for charging.

Such a system also allows for tracking of user's behaviors acrossdifferent locations. For example, in our coffee shop example, it may bethat this shop is one of a national chain of coffee shops. The user mayfrequent many establishments based solely upon her current location. Itmay be assumed that any given device belongs to a single user (orhousehold). Thus, if a specific device is detected at multiple locationsover time and the ordering habits of the device's user is likewisecoupled to the device's authentication, a map of purchasing and locationinformation may be generated over time. Such analytics may be utilizedfor modeling consumer behaviors and may be a value added service to theretailer.

Such tracking implies certain privacy issues. In order to address theseissues, upon routing to the authentication application/web portal, theuser may be requested to accept terms and conditions for their usage ofthe wireless charging service. At a minimum this agreement may be alimitation of liability for the retailer, but may extend to allowing theuser to set privacy settings for their device. For example, a moreprivacy minded individual may wish to not have their activity tracked.The system allows for the local charger to operate with a device ID,start time and end time. Likewise, upon expiration of the authorizationrecords in the authentication platform may be purged. This would allow agiven user to maintain a very high degree of animosity and privacy.Alternatively, the receiver device could be enabled to supply a singleuse supplemented unique code that only the authentication platform iscapable of decoding. Thus the authentication platform could verify thereceiver device, but local chargers would not be able to track theactivity of any given device.

In contrast, another user may wish to volunteer device information andallow for location tracking. While this compromises privacy to someextent, such a user could benefit from more efficient power scheduling(due to better understanding of the device type and powering needs), andmay even allow for the customization of promotional offers or relativeadvertisements based upon the user's activity patterns. Additionally,location tracking could further be used to protect the user's identityand prevent theft of data or money. For example, a device detected inJapan, while the user's credit card is being used in India couldgenerate a warning that shuts down the ability for the transaction, oraccess on the device, until the user can be reached and confirmationthat no nefarious activity is happening. Such identify protectioncapabilities requires the authentication platform to connect with, orotherwise share user location information with other third party systems(such as a banking institution). The key is that the disclosed system isflexible enough to meet any of these goals, customized to even anindividual device level to ensure maximum value for the retailer, anddesired service and privacy for the user.

Once the device registers with the authentication platform it is theneligible for energy delivery by the charger. In alternate embodiments,rather that the device being routed to a web portal that interfaces withthe authentication platform directly, it may also be possible for thecharger to initiate all communication with the authentication platform.In such systems, rather than being redirected, a local notification maybe sent to the device from the charger (880) where selecting the abilityto “allow” charging enables the charger to collect basic informationfrom the device. Typically, this information merely includes the deviceID. The charger may then provide the device information directly withthe authentication platform (890). Alternatively, a smart charger mayrather perform a local authentication where the ID and time is used togenerate a locally stored authentication record, including anauthentication duration. This eliminates bandwidth overhead with theauthentication platform, but also limits the ability for moresophisticated data collection.

FIG. 9 depicts an example screenshot illustrating an administrativelogin interface 900 for an authentication system, in accordance withsome embodiments. This login system may employ a username and passwordcombination. Additionally, the login system may require that the user toprovide a user type. For example, login interface 900 illustrates apull-down menu for the user ‘type’ entry. Examples of user types mayinclude a home user (owner), business user or service provider user(administrators), and technical support (manufacturer), for example.

The administrative page accessed via this screen allows the user tomanage chargers and their properties, maintain records of devices in thesystem, and provide information on the devices, including configurationsof when the devices should start and stop charging, etc. If the wirelesscharging environment has multiple chargers, the administrative web pagealso allows the user to designate a ‘master charger’ in the cluster ofchargers, which indicates that scheduling and authentication is directedby and through the designated charger. Alternatively, all chargers in acluster may independently be allowed to access the authenticationplatform. The administrative interface also allows the user to viewcurrently connected devices and track usage levels.

FIG. 10 depicts an example screenshot illustrating an administrativedevice registration interface 1000 for an authentication system, inaccordance with some embodiments. A first time user who has notpreviously set up an account will be redirected to such an interface.Here the user is allowed to select a name, password and provideadditional contact information. Additionally, the user may indicate whatuser type he or she is.

Upon successful login or registration, the user may be directed to alanding page 1100 as shown in the example of FIG. 11, in accordance withsome embodiments. From this homepage the user may be able to navigate toa profile section, a device list, administrative configuration pages forchargers and devices, an app store, and requesting support or contactinformation with the charger manufacturer. The welcome screen shown mayalso include easy tutorials in how to utilize the system, as well aswalkthroughs for new users.

In some embodiments, the profile section allows the user to change orupdate their personal information, including contact information. Theapp store allows the user to search for and download applications thatare enabled with the system. For example, applications for generatingpromotions for customers on your wireless charging network could bedownloaded and employed within a retail store. The administration linkallows the user to identify chargers within a charger cluster, select ifthe network is open or closed (or semi-closed and the configuration forcharging unauthorized devices, in some embodiments). The charger IPaddress' powering mode, and cluster type may also be shown and may beedited by the user. The charger mode is whether a given charger is on oroff. The cluster mode is either single or multiple clusters. Multipleclusters may be useful for extended business situations. The chargercluster mode may also include a wizard that enables the user toconfigure the chargers using easily understood graphicalrepresentations. Chargers may thus be easily added or deleted from agiven cluster utilizing this tool.

When the device administration page is selected, the registered devicemanagement interface 1200 is presented, as shown in the example of FIG.12. The registered device management interface 1200 illustrates alldevices within the vicinity of a wireless power transmission system orwithin a wireless power delivery environment. Devices listed may beregistered and may be activated or deactivated. This page also enablesthe user to manually register a device that has not been detected by thesystem. If any given device is selected, it may lead to deviceconfigurations including the radio ID for the device, device ID (ifdifferent from the radio ID), device type (whether the device has a userinterface, if the device has power, if it is a smart device or not,etc.). Information allowance (privacy settings) may also be configuredat his stage.

Devices linked to the charger may be separately populated in a “mydevices” page that is accessible from the homepage. FIG. 13 is anexample screenshot 1300 of devices that are already linked. The deviceis shown along with the radio ID, current battery level, and the abilityto select any given device for additional details. Such additionaldetails may include, by way of example, usage history, authenticationdetails, power consumption rates, other locations where the device hasaccessed wireless charge, etc.

The techniques discussed herein also describe physical authenticationand environmental control. In some embodiments, a wireless powerdelivery system may detect movement of objects within a coverage area(or wireless power delivery environment). The system can furtheridentify specific movement patterns and utilize these patterns tocontrol the surrounding environment.

In some embodiments, the system may further determine if there is afault in power delivery over the system and responsively issue alerts todetermine if the system is damaged, suffering from normal interference,or being tampered with. For example, a sustained or periodic change fromexpected phase, amplitude or polarity could indicate that the signal isbeing jammed or that some other device is attempting to steal power fromauthenticated clients. This could generate an alert to a systemadministrator indicating the problem, trigger authenticated clients tobeacon at higher amplitude, trigger authenticated clients to enter aperiod of sleep (in an attempt to outlive the power thief), and/or shutdown the power transmission system until the issue is resolved. In someembodiments, the system may even leverage the shift inphase/amplitude/polarity to indicate an estimated direction (assumingline of sight transmission) of the interfering source in order to assistthe administrator in resolving the issue.

Some of these functionalities stem from the fact that the energy beingtransferred wirelessly travels through the environment as RF signals,acoustic vibrations, photons, etc. These waves travel through the air invirtually every direction. They reflect off of surfaces and arrive atthe receiver via multiple pathways. Any obstructions or reflections inthe transmission pathways cause shifting of the amplitude, phase, and/orpolarity of the waves. Thus, for a perfectly static environment, for agiven transmission by a device, the charger should consistently receivea given pattern of received signals. Unfortunately, environments are notentirely static, and temperature variations, air movement, changes inthe local magnetic field due to current through wiring, etc. may allcause fluctuations within the environment. However, by observing theenvironment over time, a natural degree of signal propagation variancewill emerge. Major shifts in signal polarity or amplitude outside ofthese expected variances indicates that something significantly moreprofound has changed within the environment. In particular movement maybe detected. Such movement detection may be utilized for environmentalcontrol, security or to trigger alerts.

FIG. 14 depicts a flow diagram illustrating example process 1400 forperforming an environmental control technique in a wireless powerdelivery environment, in accordance with some embodiments. Morespecifically, the example process 1400 depicts a technique forperforming environmental control using detected phase variances in thewireless power delivery environment. A wireless power transmissionsystem such as, for example, wireless power transmission system 101 ofFIG. 1 or wireless power transmission system 300 of FIG. 3, can, amongother functions, perform the example process 1400.

To begin, the wireless power transmission system configuresenvironmental control functions (1410) in order to perform an actionbased upon an input. For example, a business owner may configure theenvironmental control functions to send a notification of movementwithin the coverage area during non-business hours (e.g., securityfocused activity). In contrast, a home user may configure theenvironmental control functions to perform various functions, e.g., opena smart door lock using a particular hand motion, effectively a physicalpassword for the door.

The wireless power transmission system can then monitor the environmentfor motion as detected by phase and amplitude shifts from beaconsignals. When a phase shift and amplitude change is detected (1430),above the expected shifts caused by background noise, then the systemdetermines if the shifts comport to a designated pattern (1440). If not,then a notification of general motion may be sent to the user (1460) ifthe system is configured to provide such notifications. However, if thephase and amplitude pattern matches a preconfigured pattern, then theconfigured activity associated with the pattern may be performed orotherwise triggered (1450). The activity corresponding to a particularmotion can comprise any number of activities. For example, the activitycan include unlocking a door, turning on an appliance or light, changingthe temperature on a thermostat, raising or lowering blinds, or evencontrolling the volume on a TV or stereo. The system can also includemachine learning functionality and/or feedback paths such that thesystem can identify “legitimate” movement vs. “suspicious” movementbased on time of day, physical characteristics, etc. This would make foran intelligent alarm system. Big data techniques can be implemented toidentify false positives to minimize action required over non-issues.

Accordingly, given sufficient environmental modeling, and sufficientlygranular modeling of the user's motions, any device within theenvironment where a wireless receiver is embedded can be controlled bybasic motions.

In addition to the above disclosed environmental control mechanisms, thecurrently disclosed systems and methods have the capacity to performdiagnostics on system performance and issue alerts and notifications ifan unexpected event occurs. Through the authentication of devices withinan environment, information may be gathered from the device. In a homeor private environment, some devices may be owned and stationary. Asecurity system motion detector or sensor would be one such device. Eventhough a specific device may not itself be extremely rudimentary interms of computational ability, the logic for determining if there is anerror with the ‘dumb’ device may reside in the charger, and thusdiagnostics may be performed.

Turning to FIG. 15, an example method for providing system diagnosticsis provided. Proactive and predictive diagnostics can be performed toforecast system issues based on historical data collected frommultitudes of chargers and devices. This example process begins with theauthentication of the devices, as disclosed in depth above. In additionto the basic authentication, the charger may locally, or on theauthentication platform, assign a unique ID (UID) to each device forperformance tracking (1510). In some cases, this UID is the same as theradio ID for the device; in alternate embodiments the UID is newlygenerated and merely associated with the radio ID. In these cases, theUID may include functional data such as device class, battery lifeexpectancy, and a unique hash to differentiate similar devices.

The charger then monitors the devices for feedback when power has beentransmitted (1520). Even very rudimentary devices may have the abilityto ping the charger when power has been received. Additionally, moresophisticated devices (a smart thermostat for example), may also becapable of returning information on the actual power amount received.Only the most basic of devices fail to provide feedback of receivedpower; and even in such circumstances the charger may monitor beaconsignals for power requests. If a beacon is not received from a devicefor a duration longer than the battery for that device is expected tolast, the charger may infer that the device's battery is dead.

When a determination is made that a device has not been receiving powerfor its expected battery life is made (1530) by the charger, then thecharger may send an alert or notification that there has been an errorin the system (1540). Depending upon device type, this notification maybe a simple error code, or may be more persistent (i.e., email, textmessaging, audible alarm, etc.) especially for devices that have less ofa reason to fail (stationary devices for example) or are of higherpriority (i.e., smoke alarm, baby monitor, etc.).

The alert or notification may prompt a user to check the device fortampering, damage, or for other causes of power disruption. Typically,interference from an obstacle may be a culprit, as is moving the deviceout of range of the charger.

ADDITIONAL EXAMPLES

In some embodiments, a method of environmental control within a wirelessnetwork is disclosed. The method includes collecting data fromtransmissions within the wireless charging network, identifying shiftsin at least one of phase, polarity, and amplitude of the transmissionscorresponding to motion within the wireless charging network; andperforming an action in response to the identified motion.

In some embodiments, the method of environmental control furtherincludes configuring a set of actions associated with specific motionpatterns.

In some embodiments, the method of environmental control furtherincludes comparing the shifts in phase and amplitude of thetransmissions to the configured motion patterns.

In some embodiments, the performed action corresponds to one of the setof actions corresponding to the matching motion pattern. In someembodiments, the action is a notification of movement within thenetwork, an unlocking of a door lock, an altering of a thermostattemperature, a toggling of power of an appliance (on/off), a controllingof other features of an appliance, etc.

In some embodiments, a method of diagnosing a wireless charging networkis disclosed. The method includes assigning a unique identifier to atleast one device; monitoring the at least one device for wireless powertransmissions; and generating an alarm when any of the at least onedevice fails to receive power for a time longer than an expected batterylife for the given device.

In some embodiments, the method of diagnosing the wireless chargingnetwork includes assigning the unique identifier to at least one deviceis part of an authentication process.

In some embodiments, the alarm includes at least one of an error code, atext message, an email, and an audible alarm.

In some embodiments, the method of diagnosing the wireless chargingnetwork includes investigating the given device to determine a cause ofthe power interruption.

FIG. 16 depicts a block diagram illustrating example components of arepresentative mobile device or tablet computer 1600 with a wirelesspower receiver or client in the form of a mobile (or smart) phone ortablet computer device, according to an embodiment. Various interfacesand modules are shown with reference to FIG. 16, however, the mobiledevice or tablet computer does not require all of the modules orfunctions for performing the functionality described herein. It isappreciated that, in many embodiments, various components are notincluded and/or necessary for operation of the category controller. Forexample, components such as GPS radios, cellular radios, andaccelerometers may not be included in the controllers to reduce costsand/or complexity. Additionally, components such as ZigBee radios andRFID transceivers, along with antennas, can populate the Printed CircuitBoard.

The wireless power receiver client can be a power receiver client 103 ofFIG. 1, although alternative configurations are possible. Additionally,the wireless power receiver client can include one or more RF antennasfor reception of power and/or data signals from a power transmissionsystem, e.g., wireless power transmission system 101 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 17 depicts a diagrammatic representation of a machine, in theexample form, of a computer system within which a set of instructions,for causing the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologiesdiscussed herein, may be executed.

In the example of FIG. 17, the computer system includes a processor,memory, non-volatile memory, and an interface device. Various commoncomponents (e.g., cache memory) are omitted for illustrative simplicity.The computer system 1700 is intended to illustrate a hardware device onwhich any of the components depicted in the example of FIG. 1 (and anyother components described in this specification) can be implemented.For example, the computer system can be any radiating object or antennaarray system. The computer system can be of any applicable known orconvenient type. The components of the computer system can be coupledtogether via a bus or through some other known or convenient device.

The processor may be, for example, a conventional microprocessor such asan Intel Pentium microprocessor or Motorola power PC microprocessor. Oneof skill in the relevant art will recognize that the terms“machine-readable (storage) medium” or “computer-readable (storage)medium” include any type of device that is accessible by the processor.

The memory is coupled to the processor by, for example, a bus. Thememory can include, by way of example but not limitation, random accessmemory (RAM), such as dynamic RAM (DRAM) and static RAM (SRAM). Thememory can be local, remote, or distributed.

The bus also couples the processor to the non-volatile memory and driveunit. The non-volatile memory is often a magnetic floppy or hard disk, amagnetic-optical disk, an optical disk, a read-only memory (ROM), suchas a CD-ROM, EPROM, or EEPROM, a magnetic or optical card, or anotherform of storage for large amounts of data. Some of this data is oftenwritten, by a direct memory access process, into memory during executionof software in the computer 1700. The non-volatile storage can be local,remote, or distributed. The non-volatile memory is optional becausesystems can be created with all applicable data available in memory. Atypical computer system will usually include at least a processor,memory, and a device (e.g., a bus) coupling the memory to the processor.

Software is typically stored in the non-volatile memory and/or the driveunit. Indeed, for large programs, it may not even be possible to storethe entire program in the memory. Nevertheless, it should be understoodthat for software to run, if necessary, it is moved to a computerreadable location appropriate for processing, and for illustrativepurposes, that location is referred to as the memory in this paper. Evenwhen software is moved to the memory for execution, the processor willtypically make use of hardware registers to store values associated withthe software, and local cache that, ideally, serves to speed upexecution. As used herein, a software program is assumed to be stored atany known or convenient location (from non-volatile storage to hardwareregisters) when the software program is referred to as “implemented in acomputer-readable medium”. A processor is considered to be “configuredto execute a program” when at least one value associated with theprogram is stored in a register readable by the processor.

The bus also couples the processor to the network interface device. Theinterface can include one or more of a modem or network interface. Itwill be appreciated that a modem or network interface can be consideredto be part of the computer system. The interface can include an analogmodem, ISDN modem, cable modem, token ring interface, satellitetransmission interface (e.g. “direct PC”), or other interfaces forcoupling a computer system to other computer systems. The interface caninclude one or more input and/or output devices. The I/O devices caninclude, by way of example but not limitation, a keyboard, a mouse orother pointing device, disk drives, printers, a scanner, and other inputand/or output devices, including a display device. The display devicecan include, by way of example but not limitation, a cathode ray tube(CRT), liquid crystal display (LCD), or some other applicable known orconvenient display device. For simplicity, it is assumed thatcontrollers of any devices not depicted in the example of FIG. 17 residein the interface.

In operation, the computer system 1700 can be controlled by operatingsystem software that includes a file management system, such as a diskoperating system. One example of operating system software withassociated file management system software is the family of operatingsystems known as Windows® from Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash.,and their associated file management systems. Another example ofoperating system software with its associated file management systemsoftware is the Linux operating system and its associated filemanagement system. The file management system is typically stored in thenon-volatile memory and/or drive unit and causes the processor toexecute the various acts required by the operating system to input andoutput data and to store data in the memory, including storing files onthe non-volatile memory and/or drive unit.

Some portions of the detailed description may be presented in terms ofalgorithms and symbolic representations of operations on data bitswithin a computer memory. These algorithmic descriptions andrepresentations are the means used by those skilled in the dataprocessing arts to most effectively convey the substance of their workto others skilled in the art. An algorithm is here, and generally,conceived to be a self-consistent sequence of operations leading to adesired result. The operations are those requiring physicalmanipulations of physical quantities. Usually, though not necessarily,these quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capableof being stored, transferred, combined, compared, and otherwisemanipulated. It has proven convenient at times, principally for reasonsof common usage, to refer to these signals as bits, values, elements,symbols, characters, terms, numbers, or the like.

It should be borne in mind, however, that all of these and similar termsare to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and aremerely convenient labels applied to these quantities. Unlessspecifically stated otherwise, as apparent from the followingdiscussion, it is appreciated that throughout the description,discussions utilizing terms such as “processing” or “computing” or“calculating” or “determining” or “displaying” or the like, refer to theaction and processes of a computer system, or similar electroniccomputing device, that manipulates and transforms data represented asphysical (electronic) quantities within the computer system's registersand memories into other data similarly represented as physicalquantities within the computer system memories or registers or othersuch information storage, transmission or display devices.

The algorithms and displays presented herein are not inherently relatedto any particular computer or other apparatus. Various general purposesystems may be used with programs in accordance with the teachingsherein, or it may prove convenient to construct more specializedapparatus to perform the methods of some embodiments. The requiredstructure for a variety of these systems will appear from thedescription below. In addition, the techniques are not described withreference to any particular programming language, and variousembodiments may thus be implemented using a variety of programminglanguages.

In alternative embodiments, the machine operates as a standalone deviceor may be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networkeddeployment, the machine may operate in the capacity of a server or aclient machine in a client-server network environment or as a peermachine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment.

The machine may be a server computer, a client computer, a personalcomputer (PC), a tablet PC, a laptop computer, a set-top box (STB), apersonal digital assistant (PDA), a cellular telephone, an iPhone, aBlackberry, a processor, a telephone, a web appliance, a network router,switch or bridge, or any machine capable of executing a set ofinstructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be takenby that machine.

While the machine-readable medium or machine-readable storage medium isshown in an exemplary embodiment to be a single medium, the term“machine-readable medium” and “machine-readable storage medium” shouldbe taken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., acentralized or distributed database, and/or associated caches andservers) that store the one or more sets of instructions. The term“machine-readable medium” and “machine-readable storage medium” shallalso be taken to include any medium that is capable of storing, encodingor carrying a set of instructions for execution by the machine and thatcause the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies of thepresently disclosed technique and innovation.

In general, the routines executed to implement the embodiments of thedisclosure, may be implemented as part of an operating system or aspecific application, component, program, object, module or sequence ofinstructions referred to as “computer programs.” The computer programstypically comprise one or more instructions set at various times invarious memory and storage devices in a computer, and that, when readand executed by one or more processing units or processors in acomputer, cause the computer to perform operations to execute elementsinvolving the various aspects of the disclosure.

Moreover, while embodiments have been described in the context of fullyfunctioning computers and computer systems, those skilled in the artwill appreciate that the various embodiments are capable of beingdistributed as a program product in a variety of forms, and that thedisclosure applies equally regardless of the particular type of machineor computer-readable media used to actually effect the distribution.

Further examples of machine-readable storage media, machine-readablemedia, or computer-readable (storage) media include but are not limitedto recordable type media such as volatile and non-volatile memorydevices, floppy and other removable disks, hard disk drives, opticaldisks (e.g., Compact Disk Read-Only Memory (CD ROMS), Digital VersatileDisks, (DVDs), etc.), among others, and transmission type media such asdigital and analog communication links.

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout thedescription and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and thelike are to be construed in an inclusive sense, as opposed to anexclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of“including, but not limited to.” As used herein, the terms “connected,”“coupled,” or any variant thereof, means any connection or coupling,either direct or indirect, between two or more elements; the coupling ofconnection between the elements can be physical, logical, or acombination thereof. Additionally, the words “herein,” “above,” “below,”and words of similar import, when used in this application, shall referto this application as a whole and not to any particular portions ofthis application. Where the context permits, words in the above DetailedDescription using the singular or plural number may also include theplural or singular number respectively. The word “or,” in reference to alist of two or more items, covers all of the following interpretationsof the word: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list,and any combination of the items in the list.

The above detailed description of embodiments of the disclosure is notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the teachings to the precise formdisclosed above. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, thedisclosure are described above for illustrative purposes, variousequivalent modifications are possible within the scope of thedisclosure, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. Forexample, while processes or blocks are presented in a given order,alternative embodiments may perform routines having steps, or employsystems having blocks, in a different order, and some processes orblocks may be deleted, moved, added, subdivided, combined, and/ormodified to provide alternative or subcombinations. Each of theseprocesses or blocks may be implemented in a variety of different ways.Also, while processes or blocks are, at times, shown as being performedin a series, these processes or blocks may instead be performed inparallel, or may be performed at different times. Further, any specificnumbers noted herein are only examples: alternative implementations mayemploy differing values or ranges.

The teachings of the disclosure provided herein can be applied to othersystems, not necessarily the system described above. The elements andacts of the various embodiments described above can be combined toprovide further embodiments.

Any patents and applications and other references noted above, includingany that may be listed in accompanying filing papers, are incorporatedherein by reference. Aspects of the disclosure can be modified, ifnecessary, to employ the systems, functions, and concepts of the variousreferences described above to provide yet further embodiments of thedisclosure.

These and other changes can be made to the disclosure in light of theabove Detailed Description. While the above description describescertain embodiments of the disclosure, and describes the best modecontemplated, no matter how detailed the above appears in text, theteachings can be practiced in many ways. Details of the system may varyconsiderably in its implementation details, while still beingencompassed by the subject matter disclosed herein. As noted above,particular terminology used when describing certain features or aspectsof the disclosure should not be taken to imply that the terminology isbeing redefined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics,features, or aspects of the disclosure with which that terminology isassociated. In general, the terms used in the following claims shouldnot be construed to limit the disclosure to the specific embodimentsdisclosed in the specification, unless the above Detailed Descriptionsection explicitly defines such terms. Accordingly, the actual scope ofthe disclosure encompasses not only the disclosed embodiments, but alsoall equivalent ways of practicing or implementing the disclosure underthe claims.

While certain aspects of the disclosure are presented below in certainclaim forms, the inventors contemplate the various aspects of thedisclosure in any number of claim forms. For example, while only oneaspect of the disclosure is recited as a means-plus-function claim under35 U.S.C. § 112, ¶6, other aspects may likewise be embodied as ameans-plus-function claim, or in other forms, such as being embodied ina computer-readable medium. (Any claims intended to be treated under 35U.S.C. § 112, ¶6 will begin with the words “means for”.) Accordingly,the applicant reserves the right to add additional claims after filingthe application to pursue such additional claim forms for other aspectsof the disclosure.

The detailed description provided herein may be applied to othersystems, not necessarily only the system described above. The elementsand acts of the various examples described above can be combined toprovide further implementations of the invention. Some alternativeimplementations of the invention may include not only additionalelements to those implementations noted above, but also may includefewer elements. These and other changes can be made to the invention inlight of the above Detailed Description. While the above descriptiondefines certain examples of the invention, and describes the best modecontemplated, no matter how detailed the above appears in text, theinvention can be practiced in many ways. Details of the system may varyconsiderably in its specific implementation, while still beingencompassed by the invention disclosed herein. As noted above,particular terminology used when describing certain features or aspectsof the invention should not be taken to imply that the terminology isbeing redefined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics,features, or aspects of the invention with which that terminology isassociated. In general, the terms used in the following claims shouldnot be construed to limit the invention to the specific examplesdisclosed in the specification, unless the above Detailed Descriptionsection explicitly defines such terms. Accordingly, the actual scope ofthe invention encompasses not only the disclosed examples, but also allequivalent ways of practicing or implementing the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of authenticating devices in a wirelesspower delivery environment, the method comprising: receiving a requestfor wireless power initiated by a device in the wireless power deliveryenvironment, wherein the request includes a client identification (ID);communicating a query including the client ID to a remote authenticationplatform for obtaining an authentication status of the device; receivingthe authentication status of the device, wherein the authenticationstatus includes an authentication period during which the device isauthenticated; and when the authentication status indicates that thedevice is authenticated, providing wireless power to the device duringthe authentication period in accordance with a power delivery schedule.2. The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication period comprisesone or more of a start time and an end time or a start time and aduration.
 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating thequery including the client ID.
 4. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: provisioning the device on the authentication platform,wherein the provisioning includes registering the client ID.
 5. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising: providing a notificationincluding an information allowance selection to the device; collectinginformation contained in the information allowance selection; andregistering the collected information with the authentication platform.6. The method of claim 5, wherein the notification includes a webpageenabling the device to directly register with the authenticationplatform, and wherein the allowance section comprises privacy settingconfigurations.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the notificationrequires entry of an access code.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein theaccess code comprises a code that is one or more of printed on areceipt, printed on a product, scan-able, or activated at apoint-of-sale.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the wirelesspower includes transmitting energy as one or more of radio frequency(RF) signals, pressure waves, or photonic waves.
 10. The method of claim1, further comprising: collecting usage patterns associated with thedevice; and updating the power delivery schedule based on the usagepatterns.
 11. An apparatus comprising: one or more computer readablestorage media; and program instructions stored on the one or morecomputer readable storage media, wherein the program instruction, whenexecuted by a processing system, direct the processing system to:process a request for wireless power initiated by a device in thewireless power delivery environment to identify a client identification(ID) corresponding to the device; communicate a query including theclient ID to a remote authentication platform for obtaining anauthentication status of the device; receive the authentication statusof the device, wherein the authentication status includes anauthentication period during which the device is authenticated; and whenthe authentication status indicates that the device is authenticated,modify a power delivery schedule to include the device during theauthentication period.
 12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein theauthentication period comprises one or more of a start time and an endtime or a start time and a duration of the authentication period. 13.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by aprocessing system, further direct the processing system to generate thequery including the client ID.
 14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein theinstructions, when executed by a processing system, further direct theprocessing system to: provision the device on the authenticationplatform, wherein the provisioning includes registering the client ID.15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed bya processing system, further direct the processing system to: provide anotification including an information allowance selection to the device;collect information contained in the information allowance selection;and register the collected information with the authentication platform.16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the notification includes awebpage enabling the device to directly register with the authenticationplatform, and wherein the allowance section comprises privacy settingconfigurations.
 17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the notificationrequires entry of an access code.
 18. The apparatus of claim 17, whereinthe access code comprises a code that is one or more of printed on areceipt, printed on a product, scan-able, or activated at apoint-of-sale.
 19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein providing thewireless power includes transmitting energy as one or more of radiofrequency (RF) signals, pressure waves, or photonic waves.
 20. Awireless power transmission system, comprising: an adaptively-phasedantenna array having multiple radio frequency (RF) transceivers; controlcircuitry configured to: process a request for wireless power initiatedby a device in a wireless power delivery environment to identify aclient identification (ID) corresponding to the device; communicate aquery including the client ID to a remote authentication platform forobtaining an authentication status of the device; receive theauthentication status of the device, wherein the authentication statusincludes an authentication period during which the device isauthenticated; and when the authentication status indicates that thedevice is authenticated, modify a power delivery schedule to include thedevice during the authentication period.